Rocking Horse Documentary

[Howie French]

Louis, what James said.
I am still checkin'in and things still look great.
Keep up the super work, and thanks for posting


Howie

[Louis Bois]

James, my boss has given me some slack...considering he wants to make sure I can reach Santa to give him "the wishlist"...and all those people watching over my cyber shoulder simply add to my paranoia.

Jerry, welcome to the neander side...but there's more to it than just this little old thing...aw shucks...

Thanks again Howie...

...and on to tonight's progress.

I've shifted my focus back to the neck...don't know why exactly except that I was in the mood to do it. I also took 2 of the legs closer to finished shape to see how they would flow into the body.

I've reposted some of the old pics for comparison to make it easier to spot the changes. I'm amazed at how much material I'm removing on a daily basis.

Cheers.

[Louis Bois]

...and a couple more...

[Mark Stutz]

Louis,
Just wanted to offer more encouragement. I look forward to each new installment. You are too modest. This is truly a skill. I have used that line before...Aww, it's not as hard as it looks...when someone comments on a small boxor something, but this is in another class altogether!

Mark

[Louis Bois]

Thanks Mark...but it's really not as difficult as "all that". I still firmly believe than 90% of the members of this forum would be able to pull off a reasonable one of these...really! The trick is to be able to visualize in 3 dimensions. If you can't see what you're trying to carve, the process becomes a lot slower as you have to refine your vision with every step of the process. It can still be done, it just takes more time. I find that sketching guidelines during the whole process helps keep that sense of balance...I do ramble on, don't I?

[Louis Bois]

Another 90 minutes down below and tonight I concentrated on one of the toughest parts to carve...from a brute strength perspective...the chest.

This is one of the toughest areas due to limited access...it's surrounded by legs and chin...not to mention all the conflicting grain directions and tough end grain.

This is a fairly challenging area, not only due to the points mentioned above, but also because of the amount of the material that needs to be shaped. The shoulders come into play here, as well as the lower protruding chest muscles and the blending of the front legs...not to mention the neck. That's a lot to think about when you hit that big gouge with a mallet. One false move and you could take a chunk off the chin...or worse. A slow and steady hand is key here. There's no rush. It's worth doing right as it's a highly visible area.

So far, it's coming together nicely...hence the slow progress in a 90 minute period. I also smoothed the neck with spokeshaves and started blending the neck into the throat to expose the gullet? a bit more.

I think my plan of attack from hereon in will be to finish shaping this front area and work my way towards the back, blending the neck into the back, rounding the swell of the belly and finally the "derriere" and rear legs.

I'm not too worried about the deadline yet...as long as my leather parts, horse hair and metal parts arrive from England in time. I couldn't order them from the shop in Cambridge, ON as Gord was out of stock and wasn't expecting another shipment until at least mid January. That would've cut things a little too close. So I went straight to the source.

Just in case I forget, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best to you and yours in the coming year. May you all be blessed with health and happiness...and an unexplainable urge to carve rocking horses!!!!

Cheers,

Louis

[Louis Bois]

2 more for the road...

[Tom Sontag]

Still enjoying the show from this end Louis.

I presume you have plenty of models for the chest, but I to this day remember admiring Secretariat's:

[Louis Bois]

Thanks for the photos Tom. An impressive and majestic beast to say the least! Ron Turcotte (who rode Secretariat to triple crown fame) actually lives a few miles from my home town...nice fellow.

Cheers!

[Pam Niedermayer]

So how will you smooth the chest area? Difficult to get spokeshaves in there.

Pam

[Louis Bois]

...with GREAT difficulty Pam...great difficulty...and my arch-nemesis: sandpaper!! I H-A-T-E sandpaper...oh, and did I mention that I DETEST sandpaper?!? Not to mention my distaste for gritty substances applied to solidified pulp products.

...I'll smooth the areas as well as I can with sharp gouges and finish off with...yes, you guessed it...sandpaper. An alternative that I'm seriously considering is a set of violin maker's scrapers with curved profiles. It may be more difficult and time consuming, but it just might do the trick...taking into consideration my aversion to all things gritty and dusty.

...did I say all that out loud?

[Tyler Howell]

Silently watching in awe.
Pix police chiefs award.
Outstanding documentary.
B&W photos have a wonderfully dramatic and retro effect.

[Louis Bois]

Mac, for me, the pleasure lies in the process...but the bottom line for most resides in the end product...not how you get there. I don't consider power tools "cheating" in any way, shape or form. I prefer hand tools for their simplicity, quietness and intimacy...the way they transfer information from the wood being worked. Some people can't use them due to physical limitations or time constraints...or simply because they prefer power tools. No problems here. The important thing is to use a method and START CREATING!!!! ...and thanks for the kind words...

Tyler, I'm relieved to be in compliance with the pic fuzz...and the approval of the B&W. I like the texture they give...thanks.

I didn't get to the shop until later this evening and my progress is reflected accordingly. I started shaping the swell of the belly and the sides.

I'm not able to use my old carver's vise as the horse is too wide to properly secure between the jaws...therefore, I brought out old faithful.

I threw in a few pics of the accessory kit that I received from the "Rocking Horse Shop" in the UK so that you can see the quality inherent within it. All the leatherwork is hand-stitched and wonderfully executed. The real horse hair is absolutely gorgeous...I chose the light grey color and it has a peppered quality (not unlike my aging mop ) that is consistent in colour throughout. I can't rave enough about the products and customer service of this outfit. Highly Recommended!!!!!

This may be my last post before Christmas...so again, I bid you all a

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

best wishes,

Louis

[Tom Hamilton]

Louis, thanks for taking the time at the end of a long day to post pics and commentary. That is a wonderful gift for all of us.

Your equine project is awesome.

Merry Christmas, Tom, in Houston, enjoying the revealing of the steed.

[Louis Bois]

Thanks for the kind words Tom.

Cheers.